In the rural world, dedicated village agents play a vital role in reaching out to residents who feel isolated and lonely. One such agent, Kate Stobie, works tirelessly in Peasedown St John - a Somerset village of approximately 6,500 people nestled between Bath and Radstock.
Kate visits residents in their homes to connect them with local clubs, activities, and support networks. Often, she is the first person they speak to after returning from hospital. “We work with people who are very lonely and isolated,” she shares during a meeting at The Hive, the village’s lively community centre.
While many of Kate’s clients are older adults, loneliness affects a broad demographic. She points out that the traditional multigenerational family living nearby is less common nowadays. For instance, many children move away from Peasedown, sometimes even overseas, to pursue their careers and lives. “I visit people who have several children but none live in the UK. It’s becoming typical,” she explains.
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Supporting this observation, Office for National Statistics data shows fewer people in Peasedown St John are in their late twenties and thirties compared to the national average.
Technology also poses challenges. Older residents often find modern necessities - such as paying for parking via smartphone apps or cashless transactions in shops - alienating. “I think older people feel excluded from modern society,” Kate notes.
Local resident Steve Band, 53, highlights another factor influencing community ties: many Peasedown inhabitants commute elsewhere for work, notably to Bath, Bristol, or Frome. Having moved to Peasedown himself 25 years ago due to housing costs in Bath, Steve points out the division within the village. ‘‘There’s a ‘new’ estate which is actually 30 years old, where many residents work in Bath and may not feel connected to the village itself. There’s limited interaction between this estate and the older parts of Peasedown.
While loneliness is present, Kate emphasises that Peasedown is, in many ways, quite typical. Single-person households constitute 27.4% locally, slightly below the national rate of 30.1%. Health statistics, including disability prevalence, align closely with wider UK figures. The village has a marginally higher number of residents aged 80 or over but not dramatically so.
Peasedown benefits from reliable, frequent bus services, offering access to nearby Bath without lengthy waits. Though rural, it is far from isolated from urban amenities.
Kate questions whether rural loneliness is worse than urban loneliness. In cities, anonymity often leads to a different sense of isolation - countless strangers on the commute without recognition or connection.
What sets Peasedown apart is its strong community spirit. The Hive community centre, primarily volunteer-run, is a hive of activity featuring a library, cafe, children’s play area, garden, and a pantry. Nights see the centre transform into a youth club. Seasonal events, such as a fully booked Santa’s grotto, are popular. Technology sessions help residents reconnect digitally, exemplified by a villager learning to use WhatsApp to contact family abroad without incurring call charges.
Steve hopes to launch a local choir, taking inspiration from the 17 choirs available in nearby Bath but closer to home.
Reverend David Winstanley, minister at the local Methodist Church, describes Peasedown as “friendly, warm and welcoming.” He observes, “You can walk down the street here, and people smile even if they don’t know you.”
Though facing the same modern challenges of loneliness and disconnection seen across Britain, Peasedown St John demonstrates the resilience of a community committed to ensuring that, while loneliness exists, no one has to be truly alone.